Hungary’s leading civil society groups have accused Viktor Orbán of trying to ‘silence all critical voices’ in the country after proposing legislation to create a ‘sovereignty protection office’ to investigate foreign influence.
For years, the Hungarian prime minister has promoted a narrative that outside forces are trying to undermine his government and support his opponents.
In a speech this month, the long-serving leader said ‘dark forces’ would ‘continue to besiege the defensive lines of sovereignty, including Hungary’s’.
But Orbán’s critics say his rhetoric is designed to undermine opponents, and that the government is stepping up efforts to create imaginary enemies and distract voters ahead of European Parliament and local elections next year.
On Wednesday, seven civil society organisations warned in a statement that the plans for a “sovereignty protection office” were part of the government’s wider attempts to stifle dissent.
“The bill is part of the government’s attempt to silence all critical voices,” they said.
The groups, which include Transparency International Hungary and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, added that the proposed legislation was not in line with Hungary’s constitutional and EU obligations and would therefore fail.
The proposed office would investigate advocacy activities, activities aimed at influencing democratic debate and organisations using foreign funding to influence voters. It would also make the banning of foreign funding for groups running for election punishable by up to three years in prison.
The broad wording has fuelled concerns that the office could arbitrarily target journalists, trade unions, churches and businesses.
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a rights group, said the bill was “deliberately vague and riddled with undefined and broadly interpreted concepts”.
“This deliberate ambiguity allows the new authority to arbitrarily consider any activity related to public affairs as serving foreign interests,” it said, adding that “this is a clear attempt to weaponise the law, create a chilling effect and further consolidate political power”.
Hungary’s opposition also expressed concern. Katalin Cseh, an MEP from the opposition Momentum party, said the proposal was “another dark milestone for Hungary”.
“A straightforward authoritarian tool to crush dissent, intimidate and punish critical voices – it aims to strangle the remaining independent media, NGOs and opposition parties, which are already under relentless attack,” she said.
The Hungarian government did not respond to requests for comment.
A government spokesman wrote on social media that the legislation was “aimed at deterring domestic political actors from accepting foreign funding”.
The publication of the bill comes days after the Hungarian government unveiled a controversial billboard campaign featuring European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Open Society Foundations Chairman Alex Soros, with the slogan: “Let’s not dance to their tune”. The government is also sending out a questionnaire to all citizens with a wide-ranging criticism of Brussels.
The campaign has renewed concerns that the Hungarian authorities are promoting anti-Semitic narratives at home – a notion the Hungarian government has vehemently denied – and that Fidesz, Orbán’s party, is using state resources to undermine the credibility of EU institutions.
A spokesman for the Open Society Foundations said: “Hungarian taxpayers’ money is once again being used to pay for political propaganda deeply tainted by anti-Semitism – further evidence of how far standards of political decency have slipped in an EU member state.
“This is a well-worn tactic of the Hungarian government – creating a vague and imaginary foreign threat to distract voters from real domestic issues, such as the quality of public schooling and healthcare.”